Combined stuffing-box and shaft-bearing.



J. O. SCHMITT. COMBINED STUFFING BOX AND SHAFT BEARING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1911.

1,025,884. Patented May 7, 1912.

- UNITED STATES JOHN o. scnmrr'r, or CLEVELAND, onro.

connnwnn srUrrrNs-Box AND SHAFT-BEARING.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. Sonmrrr, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combined Stuffing-Boxes and Shaft-Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

may be used for other purposes and under vThis invention-relates to a combined stuffing box and shaft bearing adapted especially for use with propeller shafts of motor boats, the object being to provide a device of the character stated which is extremely eflicient and not only prevents the leakage of water about the shaft, where leakage is very undesirable, but serves as an effective universal bearing, allowing freedom of movement to the shaft, even in the absence of true shaft alinement,

A furtherobject is to provide a stuffing box and bearing which is compact, inexpensive and consists of few arts which are exceptionally simple in their construction and easy to assemble, or adjust to obtain the desired results.

The above and other objects are accomplished by my invention which may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

My invention is obviously not confined for use in connection with propeller shafts, but

circumstances wherein the packing or stuffing box feature may or may not be of im-' portance. However, propeller shafts present an excellent field of use for my invention, and I have accordingly shown in the drawings several embodiments of my invent1on wherem'such use 1s exemplified.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of a portion of a boat, showing the shaft in elevation and equipped with a combined stuifing box and shaft bearing constructed in accordance with one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a slight modification; and Fig. 3 is a further modification wherein the device is V shaft whic 'passesthrough shaft log 11' used in'conn'ection with the propeller shaft for a slightly different purpose than in the modifications shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referrin now to Fig. 1, 10 represents the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 19,

Patented May 7, 1912.

1911. Serial N0. 639,296.

terior and receives an adjustable gland or sleeve 14, the shaft 10 passing freely through the sleeve 12 and gland 14 in the well known manner. gland 1 1 are provided near their ends with oppositely disposed spherical or spherically curved seats 12 and 14 respectively.

Within the stufiing box are two shaft bearing members 15 and 16 through which the shaft passes, and in which the shaft has the required loose or working fit. These bearing members 15 and 16 are provided with spherically curved bearing heads 15 and 16 which bear respectively upon the spherically curved seats 12 and 14 of the stuifing' box sleeve and gland. To provide ample bearing surface for the shaft 10, these members 15 and 16 are preferably provided and to accommodate the movement of these extensions within the stuffing box, or to permit a more or less universal movement of the shaft, the stuffing box sleeve and gland are tapered to provide clearance, as indic-ated at 12 and 14 respectively. These bearing members 15 and 16 are se arat'e members not mechanically united, an when in normal position are spaced apart, leaving an annular space about the shaft, between the adjacent faces of the members. The adjacent faces of the bearing members are preferably on a taper so that this space or slot between them is wider at the shaft than at a distance from the shaft. Between the bearing members I have placed packing -material 17 which consists of "any suitable composition which is preferably yieldable or plastic. Thus, it will be seen that when the gland 14.- is tightened or adjusted 'to i proper position, ;movement permitted, but thepacking ma- ;terial is squeezed toward the shaft and forced against the same" so tightly that the leakage of water log. The sleeve 12 is threaded on the ex- The-sleeve 12 and with tubular bearing extensions 15" and 16*,

not only'is universal shaft through the stuifing box same'functionsas in the form s spherical surfaces, leakage gland have the same construction as shown relative in Fig. 1, but the bearing members here designated 19 and 20 are slightly different n construction. In this instance, the said members are rovidedgwith bearing heads which are in the form of spherically curved shells undercut in the manner illustrated, so that when the parts are in their proper plositions, an annular and substantially s erical s ace is provided next to the sha t for pac ing material 17. It will i be seen that with this form, not only can a greater amount of packing material be emloyed than'in the form shown in Fig. 1, ut by the adjustment of the gland, the material is forced toward the shaft with more pressure.

In Fig. 3 Ihave shown a modification which is quite similarvin principle and construction to the form shown in Fig. 1, but which illustrates one of the uses of my invention inwhich the packing feature is of no importance. In this case, the invention serves as a universal bearing for that por- 1 tion of the shaft which extends beneath the boat. The shaft is supported from the. boat by a hanger 21 having at its lower end a tubular boss or sleeve 22 which corresponds to the sleeve 12 of Fig. 1. threaded on the interior and receives an adjust-able inner sleeve 23 which corresponds to the gland 14 of Fig. 1. The sleeves 22 and 23 are provided respectively with spherically/"curved seats 22 and 23', and these seats are engaged by two shaft bearing members 24 and 25, similar in all material respects to those shown in Fig. 1. These bearing members, as in the first instance, are separate members and are spaced apart and receive between them a filler 26 which ma be of the same composition as the pac 'ng material 17.

It will thus be seen thatmy invention is susceptible of considerable modification and a is adapted for a variety of uses, and Itherefore. do not wish to be confined to any particular construction, except as I am limited by the terms of the appended claims.

u Having thus described my invention, what Ijclaim is:

1. In combination, a stufling box sleeve adapted to have a shaft extend therethrough, a gland adjustably connected to and. supthe stufiing box sleeve and The sleeve 22' is ported by said sleeve, said sleeve and gland having a pair of separate annular seats, a

bearing for the shaft comprising two separate members, each provided with a spherically curved portion engagin one of said seats and having between t em acking composition which is compressed and forced toward the shaft by adjusting the gland along the sleeve. I

2. In combination, a 'stufiing box sleeve adapted to receive a shaft and a gland hav-, ing an adjustable screw connection with said sleeve, the sleeve and gland having a pair of oppositely disposed annular seats, two bearing members arranged within the stufling box and having s herically curved outer surfaces, each of w ich engages one of said seats, said bearing members being separated by a space adapted to receivepacking material and their adjacent faces bein on a taper so that when the gland is justed along the sleeve, said bearing members are i moved toward each other so as to force the packing material toward the shaft.

3. .In combination, a sleeve having a support for holding the same in fixed relation with respect to a shaft and provided at its end with a spherically curved seat, a second sleeve having a threaded connection with said first named sleeve and having at its end a spherically curved seat opposite the first named seat,'a combined bearing and packing comprising two parts having spherically curved heads, each of one of the said seats and extending tubular extensions forming sha bearings, said members having between them packing'material which is forced toward the shaft by the tightening of one sleeve on the other.

4. In combination, a sleeve having means for supporting the same in fixed relation which engages with respect to a shaft and provided at its end with a spherically curved seat, a second sleeve having a threaded connection with said first named sleeve and having at its end a spherically curved seat opposite the first named seat, a combined bearing and packing comprising two spherically curved heads, each of which engages one of the said seats and having oppositely extending tubular extensions form- .ing shaft bearings, said members; being spacedapart and having their adjacent faces tapered so as to form an annular slot about the shaft wider at the shaft than at adistance ,from the shaft, and yieldable material in said slot adapted to be forced toward the shaft. as said bearing members are moved toward each other.

5. In combination, a stufling box sleeve, a gland having a threaded connection therewith and ad ustablethereon, said sleeve and gland having on the interior thereof two separate spherically curved seats, one on the having oppositely parts having sleeve and one on the gland, two shaft bearing members arran ed in the stufling box and provided. wit oppositely disposed spherically curved heads which engage said 5 seats and provided also with oppositely extending tubular shaft bearings, yieldable material between said heads, the sleeve and gland being tapered opposite said bearing extensions so as to provide clearance there- 10 for and permit-universal movement.

positely disposed spherically curved bearing seats, two bearing members for the shaft, each engaging one of said seats, said bearmg members being spaced a art and havmg between their adjacent aces yieldable material which is compressed by the ad justment of one sleeve along the other.

0 In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

JOHN O. SCHMITT.

Witnesses:

H. R. SULLIVAN, A. F. KwIs. 

